Air Crash. England. 10 August 1941

[runway16]

A friend writing a book has asked for some help.

Does anyone have any knowledge of an air crash in the UK on Sunday 10 August 1941.

The accident killed all 22 on board. The accident took place soon after take-off.

The flight was possibily taking aircrew to the US or Canada to ferry aircraft to England.

Does anyone have knowledge of:
Aircraft type,
Serial,
Accident location,
Circumstances,
Can confirm 22 dead.
Any back ground information.

Thanks in advance.

R16. .

[aviate1138]

One quick Google with your tag line and this came up

Liberator

Liberator LB-30A Page 2 (http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/liberator_lb-30a_buidhe02.htm)

[Old-Duffer]

The information below may help with the details of this accident and the names of those who died are as shown on the website referred to above.

This accident was one of several involving the Liberators being used to run this service.

Old Duffer

10-AUG-41 AM261 Liberator I Ferry Cd 1 mile north of Goat Fell Isle of Arran 22
With the start of ferrying aircraft from Canada to the UK, it became necessary to return those crews engaged on the programme to Canada, so that they could bring another aircraft back to UK. This was initially done by sea but was slow and had inadequate capacity to maintain the ferry programme. The solution was ‘The Return Ferry Service’, which employed large aircraft to repatriate the crews to Canada. This aircraft took off in very poor weather and it was noted by those watching on the ground that the aircraft was not being climbed at the normal rate despite there being high ground ahead of the aircraft as it flew over the outer islands off the mainland. Nothing further was seen or heard of the aircraft until wreckage was discovered a few days later near the summit of a mountain some 25 miles from the take-off point. It appears that the aircraft drifted off track by 4 ½ miles in the strong winds and not having reached its safety height because of the pilot’s habit of climbing the aircraft slowly, it flew into the ground.

[runway16]

Thank you both for the prompt reply.

The specific interest was the sole Australian on board.

R16.